António Mourão

An agent-based model for analyzing the impact of business interoperability on the performance of cooperativeindustrial networks

This paper presents an approach for analyzing the impact of business interoperability on the performance of cooperative industrial networks. The analysis of the impact is grounded on the agent-based simulation method. A theoretical agent-based model is proposed to simulate the manner in which companies interoperate in cooperative industrial networks and how the distance between the actual and the required level of business interoperability in different dyad relationships can affect the performance of these companies. To test the applicability of the proposed theoretical agent-based model, a case study regarding a dam construction project is presented. The objective of the case study is to analyze the impact of the introduction of a Radio Frequency Identification system and a cooperative information system platform, first on the business interoperability performance and then on the operational performance of a the companies involved in the dam construction project. The application of the theoretical agent-based simulation model to this case study supports our assumption that indeed, agent-based simulation is appropriate for achieving the objective set. Regarding to the case study results, the main benefits of the introduction of the cooperative information systems platform are the reduction of the time needed to analyze the slump and compression test results, which can be reduced up to 98%. We propose an agent-based model for analyzing the impact of business interoperability on the performance of industrial networks.We address how dyad organizational relationships affect the network of companies that the two companies in the dyads belong to.This is the first time that network effect is addressed in the analysis of the impact of business interoperability.We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed agent-based model through a case study regarding a dam construction project.ABM is indeed appropriate for analyzing the impact of business interoperability on the performance of networked companies.

Modeling Business Interoperability in a Context of Collaborative Supply Chain Networks

This paper proposes a methodology for modeling interoperability in a context of collaborative Supply Chain Networks. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology that enables: (1) the design of collaborative Supply Chain Network platforms that are able to deliver a high degree of business interoperability in the implementation of collaborative Supply Chain Network management practices; and (2) the analysis of the impact of business interoperability on the performance of collaborative organizations that are involved in the implementation of those management practices. The design of the Supply Chain Network platforms is grounded on the Axiomatic Design Theory and the analysis of the impact is grounded on the Agent-based Simulation. A theoretical axiomatic design model and a theoretical agent-based simulation model are proposed. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through an application scenario to implement Reverse Logistics in a context of automotive industry. The results show that this methodology is a good starting point for a more comprehensive framework towards interoperable Supply Chain Network modelling.

A methodology for designing an interoperable industrial ecosystems, using the axiomatic design theory

This paper presents a methodology to design interoperable lean, agile, resilient, and green industrial ecosystems based on axiomatic design. The main objective is to develop a systematic approach to support the detailed design of collaborative business platforms that are able to deliver high level of interoperability, as measured by the expanded business interoperability quotient measurement model. To achieve this objective, axiomatic design is employed to develop the “ideal” cooperation configuration by defining and aligning a set of functional requirements necessary to establish an effective and efficient cooperation among networked organizations. The applicability of the developed methodology is tested through an application scenario of implementing reverse logistics among an automaker focal firm and its upstream partners, as well as some external stakeholders.

Some trends and proposals for the inclusion of sustainability in the design of manufacturing process

Production processes are designed to meet requirements of three different natures, quality, cost and time. Environmental concerns have expanded the field of conceptual design through the introduction of sustainability requirements that are driven by the growing societal thoughtfulness about environmental issues. One could say that the major concern has been the definition of metrics or indices for sustainability. However, those metrics usually have some lack of consistency. More than ever, there is a need for an all-inclusive view at any level of decision-making, from the establishing of the design requirements to the implementation of the solutions. According to the Axiomatic Design Theory, sustainable designs are usually coupled designs that should be avoided. This raises a concern related to the very nature of sustainability: the cross effects between the actions that should be considered in the attempt to decouple the design solutions. In terms of production, one should clarify the characterization of the sustainability of production systems. The objectives of this paper are: i) to analyse some trends for approaching the sustainability of the production processes; ii) to define sustainability in terms of requirements for the design of the production processes; iii) to make some proposals based on the Axiomatic Design Theory, in order to establish the principles with which the guidelines for designing production processes must comply; iv) to discuss how to introduce this matter in teaching both manufacturing technology and design of production systems.

An Axiomatic Design Interpretation on the Use of Response Surface Methodology to Solve Coupled Designs

The most important design decisions are made in the outset of the designing process, when the knowledge about the final design solution is usually scarce and therefore uncertainty is high. According to the independence axiom of Axiomatic Design (AD), design solutions are classified in the following three basic types: uncoupled, decoupled and coupled, the former being the best type and the latter the poorest. As a rule, coupled designs should be avoided, not only because they infringe the independence axiom but also because their information content is hard to compute. Nonetheless, we argue that the occurrence of coupled solutions is noteworthy in general design, although we recognize that they are questionable and that many times they could be easily avoided. Our motivation is to contribute for changing the current state of affairs by showing how to use the minimum information content axiom to make early decisions in the development of coupled designs. One of the general engineering approaches to deal with multiple-FR, multiple-DP designs is the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). We will show in our paper how RSM can be used to deal with coupled designs as if they were uncoupled. The conclusion is that one can graphically compute the information content of coupled designs with two DPs and an arbitrary number of FRs by using multiple RSM. This means that RSM can be interpreted at the light of Axiomatic Design, and embodies an appropriate approach to support decision-making in the case of coupled designs.Copyright

Training Mechanical Design for Sustainability through the Development of Systems with End-of-Life Components

The goal of this paper is to show that one can teach mechanical design making the students aware about the sustainability issues in mechanical engineering by incorporating obsolete parts. The example herein developed aims at finding viable design solutions by re-using end-of-life components to perform functions that are very similar to the ones for which they were initially designed, with only minor adjustments to make them suitable for their new purposes. A Savonius wind turbine was chosen for our exercise since it is easy to build and assemble, has low manufacturing costs and is appropriate for delivering a small amount of mechanical power.

Premises for Experimental Research of the Electrochemical Machining

The electrochemical machining method ensures conditions for machining workpieces made of electroconductive materials, when the classical machining methods could not be applied or when their use is not able to offer a high efficiency of the machining process. The large diversity of the electrochemical machining procedures needs information about the specific work conditions and adequate establishing of the parameters which characterize the machining process and the factors able to exert influence on the parameters of technological interest. In order to design and materialize some electrochemical machining procedures, an analysis of the conditions specific to the work zone and of distinct subsystems specific to electrochemical equipment was developed. Taking into consideration the results of analysis, equipment for electrochemical machining was designed and materialized. One considered also some possibilities to develop subsequently scientific researches concerning aspects specific to the electrochemical machining process. Preliminary tests proved the possibilities of using the equipment and of its improving in the future.

The Role of the Eco-Requirements in the Sustainable Product Development Based on the Axiomatic Design Principles

One of the current trends of competitive companies is moving to eco-innovation. This pathway involves a multidisciplinary approach and a systemic attitude concerning to eco-design. The focus must be to analyse the customer requests from a sustainable viewpoint, understanding their real needs and finding solutions structurally sustainable from the early steps of the product development. The objective of this paper is to consider the perspective of the eco-design not as control issue, but something that should be used from the outset of the design process and be considered in the different domains of the design at all its levels of detail, in parallel with the ÒusualÓ functionality. The herein described consists in introducing the eco-requirements by structuring the eco-issues in the design product structure based on the Axiomatic Design theory. The result of this research is a proposal for a guideline for the structuring of the sustainable product development using a surfboard as an example.

Some Peculiarities of the Redundant Design Solutions

In common speech, the term redundant is used to label superfluous repetitions that as a rule should be avoided. Nevertheless, redundancy is a linguistic tool that can play a remarkable role in the communication of complex thoughts in both the vernacular and the erudite talking or writing, which includes the field of engineering design. In the Axiomatic Design (AD) point of view, redundancy may increase the complexity of the design solutions (which is measured through their information content), but does not necessarily entail the breach of the ADs independence axiom. Hence, redundant solutions should not be excluded in a regular basis, since the ones that comply with the independence axiom are considered good design. According to this line of reasoning, the pertinence of redundant solutions should be assessed in the onset of the designing processes, bearing in mind the virtues of the likely higher simplicity of the non-redundant solutions. This paper deals with some basic concepts related to redundant design and it should be seen as a contribution to bring more insight on a subject that is not thoroughly reviewed in the known literature. Different forms of redundancy are considered, specifically the reliability motivated active and passive types, and the functionality-related alternative and augmentative kinds. The means to perceive intrinsic redundancy through the examination of the design equations are also provided, as well as some illustrative examples. The implicit conclusions are that redundant designs are much more usual that one can think at a first glance, and that the study of their peculiarities might deserve further attention.